Welcome to Microsoft community where you can find all the answers related to Windows!

Based on the description provided, it looks like you get the file not found when the computer starts up. However, we need some more information about this issue to assist you better. Please help me answer these questions.

1. How are you trying to run “scanregw.exe”?

2. Why do you want to run the Windows Registry Checker tool?

The Windows Setup runs the Windows Registry Checker tool to verify the integrity of the existing registry before it performs an upgrade. If it detects registry damage, it tries to fix it automatically.

The protected-mode version of the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanregw.exe) can create a backup of the system files and scan the registry for invalid entries. If invalid entries are detected, it refers to the real-mode version of the Windows
Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe) for a resolution.

You can configure Windows Registry Checker with a Scanreg.ini file. Settings that you can configure include:

a. Enabling or disabling the tool

b. The number of backups maintained (no more than five is recommended)

The Registry Scan Results dialog box appears only when you use the Scanregw.exe command without any command-line switches. If no registry errors are found when you run Scanregw.exe, you are prompted to create a backup copy of your current registry.

The "/comment=<text>" switch can be used by itself or with the /backup switch. For example, you can type either of the following lines at a command prompt:

scanreg.exe "/comment=this is a registry backup"

scanreg.exe /backup "/comment=this is a registry backup"

The first command line starts the Registry Checker tool graphical user interface (GUI) and prompts you to create a registry backup. The second command line creates a backup copy of your registry and adds your comment without starting the Registry Checker tool
GUI.

Hope this information helps. Revert us if you have any questions with Windows we will be glad to assist.

Thank you for your help unfortunately when i run cmd and copy and pasted the command prompt i STILL get this is the whole quote "scanreg.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command

operable program or batch file " what does that mean ?

It means that it's not there. I should know, I have the same problem right now.

Apparently Microsoft has pulled the plug on scanreg.exe and scanregw.exe. They have discontinued it since Windows Vista (or maybe even since XP, they don't say on their Knowledge Base website). And you are on Windows 7, right?

The only question that remains is what's the alternative to it in Vista or 7, or in Windows 8? That's what
I would like to know.

It's funny how Microsoft has removed the Scanreg tool which was actually the only tool capable of making a true backup and restore of the Windows registry. And yet, they are
still telling people to use the export and import options of Regedit as a way to "backup and restore" the registry! That's crazy talk! It's exactly this that brought me here today! You can see my other post
here.

Don't ever use import and export in Regedit!It will kill your system!

This is exactly what I have done 2 days ago. I exported all the root keys and hives using Export option in Regedit. It produced a massive file that's over 450 MB in size. One day later, in order to revert back the changes I have made the other day, I opened
up Regedit and then the option Import and opened the 450 MB file. The progress bar showed up and at the end of the import I got a warning type of message (red icon with an x) telling me that not everything was imported.

So I tried doing it in safe mode. I got the same message. I tried doing it in safe mode with command prompt and the Reg command. I got a new message. I booted back into Windows in normal mode. I had no sound! Windows Audio service didn't run. It depends on
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, RPC and Multimedia Class Scheduler. They were all running except for Endpoint Builder. I couldn't get it to start at all. I tried removing the dependency in registry. It didn't do anything. I tried running the sfc /scannow command
and it failed and is now stuck with a pending repair that won't go away.

This is why I am here today. I will never again in my life use Import and Export options of Regedit. Regardless of what Microsoft and other companies and tutorials and guides are saying. Windows registry changes all the time! And the Import option works by
merging, so it doesn't really do a "restore" of the registry. It only kills it. By providing instructions to make keys and hives that have changes or that are no longer there, while also replacing (overwriting) the others that are already there. Exporting
works fine, but what good is it if the import can make a system (and it's user) cry?!

So from this day forward I will never use Import or Export option of Regedit, and I will advise others not to use it. This is not a backup and restore, like it used to be with the Scanreg tool. The old Windows systems had a different format for Reg files also,
and it was a different architecture, I know. But to use Regedit as a replacement? I don't think so.

There needs to be a way to backup current registry "state" and restore it if needed, but I think Microsoft has yet to come up with a tool for that. And Regedit is not it. And they should know better, and stop giving possibly dangerous instructions on their
Microsoft Support website to new users, instructions that can possibly kill a system and force people to re-install Windows. I'm probably facing a re-install myself. I will try a repair install first, before I do a clean install.

Welcome to Microsoft community where you can find all the answers related to Windows!

Based on the description provided, it looks like you get the file not found when the computer starts up. However, we need some more information about this issue to assist you better. Please help me answer these questions.

1. How are you trying to run “scanregw.exe”?

2. Why do you want to run the Windows Registry Checker tool?

The Windows Setup runs the Windows Registry Checker tool to verify the integrity of the existing registry before it performs an upgrade. If it detects registry damage, it tries to fix it automatically.

The protected-mode version of the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanregw.exe) can create a backup of the system files and scan the registry for invalid entries. If invalid entries are detected, it refers to the real-mode version of the Windows
Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe) for a resolution.

You can configure Windows Registry Checker with a Scanreg.ini file. Settings that you can configure include:

a. Enabling or disabling the tool

b. The number of backups maintained (no more than five is recommended)

The Registry Scan Results dialog box appears only when you use the Scanregw.exe command without any command-line switches. If no registry errors are found when you run Scanregw.exe, you are prompted to create a backup copy of your current registry.

The "/comment=<text>" switch can be used by itself or with the /backup switch. For example, you can type either of the following lines at a command prompt:

scanreg.exe "/comment=this is a registry backup"

scanreg.exe /backup "/comment=this is a registry backup"

The first command line starts the Registry Checker tool graphical user interface (GUI) and prompts you to create a registry backup. The second command line creates a backup copy of your registry and adds your comment without starting the Registry Checker tool
GUI.

Hope this information helps. Revert us if you have any questions with Windows we will be glad to assist.

With 45 years of software and hardware design, I KNOW that the registry gets corrupted by boot up operations and malware. By chance, I tried to put in the beta Win 10. After 2 hours it would not install. I clicked on remove installation. When the system
returned to W 8.1, EVERY PROBLEM WAS FIXED and error messages disappeared. My 3 year old Toshiba laptop ran faster and better then my new ASUS. I am sure that this was caused by the uninstall putting in a new (clean?) registry back. But I asked for an opinion
on this but got nothing from Microsoft (as usual). It is terrible when things can be repaired but no one cares. This is evident with the removal of scanregw.exe from Win 8 and 8.1

I don't understand if whoever answer here try to help read the question: don't have scanregw.exe on my pc windows says file not found

or it is a dumb computer answer it.

My windows 7 Enterprise doesn't have it either, I google and I got to this forum of Microsoft, and It didn't have a correct answer (?) What is this Forum for then? an empty Museum?

I really believe what someone wrote above, Microsoft might silently remove scanreg (maybe following Macintosh idea: don't let user do anything and mess up with the SysOp, IDK). The result? many thrid party offering 'install' a version of the scanreg (??)

I couldn't find nothing related in the 3 first pages of google search, I gave up. : /

The really ANNOYING thing about many forum responses is they don't answer the question. I'm looking for Scanreg.exe, too. It's not there. I wish there was a way for the author of the post to delete answers that do not address the question. Then people
like me, looking for answers, won't waste their time with this useless drivel.

The really ANNOYING thing about many forum responses is they don't answer the question. I'm looking for Scanreg.exe, too. It's not there. I wish there was a way for the author of the post to delete answers that do not address the question. Then
people like me, looking for answers, won't waste their time with this useless drivel.

The Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe) was included with Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition. Scanreg can back up, restore, optimize and fix the Windows registry, which stores operating
system and application configuration settings. Windows automatically backs up the registry each day and restores it as needed, but in some situations you might have to fix or restore the registry yourself.

I have to run scanreg.exe to check and fix registry issues. But when I open cmd as administrator and enter the command "scanreg.exe /fix" it displays "scanreg.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file." I am running windows 8.1 core edition.

I guess the Microsoft engaged Support Engineer alleged "expert" does not know that there is no scanreg.exe or scanregw.exe in Windows 7 and that also tells us that the alleged "expert" has not tried their own advice and ideas to "check if it helps".

I wonder how these Microsoft responders get to be designated as "experts".

Those registry scanning programs were only offered in the following versions of Windows:

Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition (and their dev kit)

That means you will not find them on any Windows 7 system.

How can the Microsoft engaged Support Engineer alleged "expert" not know that?

What you should do instead is start a new question/topic/thread of your own describing the Windows 7 issues(s) and system problem symptoms you are having and why you think some registry scanning program is going to fix things.

Then somebody that actually knows how Windows works will help you resolve the issue.

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates.